This present invention relates generally to a communication system for a mobile platform. More particularly, the present invention relates to a data delivery system for on-board entertainment and office systems of mobile platforms. In general, on-board entertainment and office systems can be utilized to generate video images and audio content for occupants of a mobile platform. The video images and audio content can be related to movies, telephone conversations, and other entertainment-based or business-based material.
Mobile platforms, such as, automobiles, airplanes, trains, and boats have included on-board entertainment systems. These systems generally provide audio-visual content to a display screen. The audio-visual content can be provided from wireless, off-board sources and from on-board sources. On-board sources can include equipment which plays audio discs, audio tapes, video discs and video tapes.
One type of conventional on-board entertainment system is an aircraft passenger entertainment system. The aircraft passenger entertainment system can provide passengers with audio generated from audio tape players, movies derived from video tape players, and interactive services, such as, games, shopping and telecommunications. With the exception of interactive services related to telecommunication services (air-to-ground telephone calls), the aircraft passenger entertainment system generally utilizes strictly on-board sources (tape players, etc.) to provide content. Utilizing strictly on-board sources does not allow xe2x80x9clivexe2x80x9d programs or time sensitive programs, such as, news, sporting events, and commercial programming to be viewed on the aircraft. Video and audio tapes can take as long as several months to prepare before being available for viewing on the aircraft. Such a delay makes the viewing of sporting events, news programs, commercial television, stock reports, and other time sensitive material undesirable.
Alternatively, on-board entertainment and office systems for mobile platforms can utilize off-board sources. For example, automobiles can include spread spectrum or ultra high frequency (UHF) or very high frequency (VHF) broadcast antennae for receiving specialized or commercial television signals, respectively. In another example, proposed on-board entertainment systems for aircraft utilize digital broadcast satellite systems to provide live or near live video entertainment (television broadcasts) to passengers aboard an aircraft. However, the use of direct broadcast satellite (DBS) systems as well as UHF and VHF broadcast systems can be problematic as the mobile platform enters and exits zones where the signals cannot be received. For example, transoceanic flights often enter locations which are out of range of the satellite system. Similarly, platform position, geographic considerations, and other electromagnetic radiation blocking phenomenon can prevent a mobile platform from appropriately receiving data from a wireless source.
In addition, direct broadcast satellite systems and other broadcast systems cannot feature content for particular mobile platforms. The same data is received by all mobile platforms within the range of the source. Occupants of aircraft, trains, and ships having particular destinations may wish to receive content related to the destination. The content may even include commercials or advertisements directed toward features associated with the destination of the mobile platform. For example, it is desirable to show advertisements or previews for casinos, conventions, or other attractions associated with the destination. Thus, conventional off-board sources cannot provide audio and visual content directed to occupants of particular mobile platforms.
Further, conventional off-board sources cannot provide content directed to particular types of mobile platforms, such as the type of aircraft. For example, safety messages must be specialized for particular types of aircraft. The same safety message cannot be sent via off-board sources to every aircraft in the fleet.
It is also desirable to provide Internet access to occupants of the mobile platforms. The Internet has become extremely popular and continues to grow at exponential rates. For example, aircraft passengers could utilize the Internet for both business and entertainment purposes. In addition, the Internet is being sought as a necessity for electronic messaging as well as an alternative to television.
Current stand-alone communications systems utilized by most mobile platforms lack the capacity or bandwidth to support true high-speed multi-user Internet browsing. These systems have been optimized for some data uses but are generally used to support low-bandwidth data and voice communications, typically ranging from 2400 bits per second to 19.2 kilobits per second.
Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television systems are in wide use for the delivery of television programming directly to terrestrial homes of viewers. DBS systems operate in the Ku-band frequency range of 11.70 to 12.75 GHz. A DBS system typically consists of a DBS ground station for uplinking the programming, a geosynchronous orbiting transponder satellite for receiving the programming from the ground station on one frequency and downlinking the programming on another frequency, and multiple viewers with dish antennas and DBS receivers for receiving the downlinked programming. Digital compression is used to increase the amount of programming available from a satellite. MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 are the standard compression technologies in use by most DBS systems. A program provider or data source collects the programming data and sends it to the DBS ground station for uplinking to the satellite. Programming may be collected from sources by reception from other satellites, fiber optic lines, or the rebroadcast of digital tape. The programming may include data other than television programming such as Internet services. The data is compressed and encrypted before transmission. The viewer receives the downlink signals from the satellite on a parabolic dish antenna.
The dish antennas are small (typically 18-inches to three feet in diameter) which makes the dish antennas attractive for home use. However, even small dish antennas can be undesirable in certain mobile platform applications due to wind resistance and stability considerations.
A down converter is typically located with the dish antenna and down converts the received signal into an L-band intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The L-band IF signal is sent by cable to the DBS receiver in the home. The DBS receiver decodes, decompresses, amplifies and converts the signal into a viewable TV image.
On-board entertainment and office systems, such as, aircraft systems require the efficient delivery of data such as movies, programs, airline schedules, Internet data, e-mail communications and maps to passengers. This data needs to be updated or replaced so that new in-flight entertainment movies, new safety messages, and other information can be presented in flight. Also, mobile platform data, such as aircraft data from a FOQA (Flight Operations Quality Assurance) system generated in flight needs to be removed from the aircraft and transferred to an appropriate recipient of the data. Heretofore, the updated and new data as well as the aircraft data is manually transported between the aircraft and the terminal.
Thus, there is a need for a mobile platform communication system that offers efficient delivery of data between a mobile platform and a docking area. There is another need for a wireless connectivity between an aircraft and an airport terminal; the wireless connectivity should offer much higher bandwidth than existing low-bandwidth communications systems. There is also a need for a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system for delivering video data for storage on a mobile platform. Further, there is a need for a direct broadcast satellite system that can provide high-speed Internet service to a mobile platform along with DBS television programming simultaneously while using a single small antenna system that can easily be mounted on the mobile platform. Further still, there is a need to utilize excess capacity on a DBS television transponder to provide the modest bandwidth needs for Internet service on mobile platforms. There is also a need for a low-speed, communications channel, such as, an air-to-ground channel, which enables a full interactive Internet capability on a mobile platform.
Even further, there is a need for a communication system that can transfer large amounts of data between a data source and a mobile platform parked in a docking area without hand carrying media containing the data. Further still, there is a need for a communications system that can use existing communications systems, such as, direct broadcast satellites and telephone systems for transfer of data between the data source, the data recipient, and the mobile platform.
Still further, there is a need for a communication system which can provide entertainment directed to passengers of a particular mobile platform while utilizing video signals received from off-board the mobile platform. Even further still, there is a need for a communications system which can adjust to provide a continuous video stream as a mobile platform travels from areas of reception to non-reception. Yet further, there is a need for a communications system which includes receivers which allow video data to be received as the mobile platform travels across the earth.
An embodiment relates generally to a communication system for a mobile platform. The mobile platform is stationary at a docking area. The communication system includes a wireless docking area transceiver, a wireless platform transceiver, and a storage unit. The storage unit is located on the mobile platform. The wireless docking area transceiver provides video data to the wireless platform transceiver while the mobile platform is at the docking area. The storage unit stores the video data for playback in the mobile platform.
Another embodiment also relates to a video system for a mobile platform. The mobile platform is capable of traveling to a docking area which has a first transceiver for providing data representative of video. The video system includes a short-range transceiver configured to receive the data, a storage unit coupled to the short-range transceiver, and a processor coupled to the storage unit. The short-range transceiver stores the data. The processor generates the video in response to the data stored in the storage unit.
Still another embodiment further relates to a communication system for a mobile platform. The communication system includes a wireless docking area transceiver, a first means for transmitting data, a second means for receiving data, and a third means for storing the data received by the second means. At least a portion of the data includes video data. The first means is located at the gate area, and the second means is located at the mobile platform. The third means is located at the mobile platform and stores the data received by the second means.
Yet another embodiment relates to a method of showing video images related to video data on a mobile platform. The mobile platform is capable of traveling to a location. The location has a transmitter. The method includes: electronically receiving the video data from the transmitter with a receiver while the mobile platform is proximate the location, storing the video data on-board the mobile platform, and displaying the video images on-board the mobile platform in accordance with the video data stored on-board the mobile platform.
An embodiment still further relates to a communication system for a mobile platform. The communication system includes a direct broadcast receiver located on the mobile platform and a computer network including at least one terminal on the mobile platform, the terminal providing Internet access through the direct broadcast receiver.
An embodiment also relates to a method of providing Internet service to a mobile platform. The mobile platform includes a direct broadcast receiver located on the mobile platform and computer network. The mobile platform also includes at least one terminal on the mobile platform. The method includes: providing Internet data to the computer network on the mobile platform via the direct broadcast receiver, and providing the Internet data to the terminal.
An embodiment even further still relates to a communication system for a mobile platform. The communication system includes a first receiver circuit disposed on a platform, a second receiver circuit disposed on the platform, and a control circuit. The control circuit is coupled to the first receiver circuit and the second receiver circuit. The first receiver circuit and the second receiver circuit receive video data. The control circuit selects the video data from the first receiver circuit and the Ku-band receiver circuit to continuously receive the video data as the mobile platform moves from a first zone to a second zone.
An embodiment even further still relates to a method of receiving video data on a mobile platform. The method includes receiving first video data transmitted from a first band-type satellite when the mobile platform is in a first zone for playback on the mobile platform, and receiving second video data transmitted from a second band-type satellite receiver circuit when the mobile platform is in a second zone for playback on the mobile platform. The first zone is in an area where the first video data can be received effectively from the first band-type satellite, and the second zone is in an area where the second data can be effectively received from the second band-type satellite.
An embodiment specifically relates to a communication system for a mobile platform. The mobile platform is stationery at a docking area. The communication system includes a wireless docking area transmitter, a wireless platform receiver unit, and a storage unit. The storage unit is located on the mobile platform. The wireless docking area transmitter provides order wire data to the wireless platform receiver unit. The storage unit stores the order wire data. Video is provided on the mobile platform in accordance with the order wire data.
An embodiment relates to the method of providing electronic browsing services on a mobile platform. The mobile platform includes at least one terminal. The method includes receiving order wire data indicating a default home page from an external source. The method also includes beginning the electronic browsing service at the default home page.
An embodiment also relates to a communication system for a mobile platform. The communication system includes a receiver, a computer network, and a terminal. The computer network is couple with the receiver. The receiver receives in advertising spots indication. The terminal is coupled with the computer network. The computer provides advertising spots that are associated with the advertising spots indication.